Improvement in clasps for metallic or other flexible bands



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT C. RICHARD, OF NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT lN CLASPS FOR 'METALLIC OR OTHER FLEXIBLE BANDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,4S, datcd October 19, 1858.

To all whom it may concern.:

Beit known that I, ALBEEr C. RICHARD, of Newtown, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clasps for Metallic or other Flexible Bands, and I do hereby declare that t-he following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

In all bands, and particularly in the iron hoops around cotton-bales, it is highly desirable that the clasp or device for fastening shall be susceptible of a quick application or adjustment, that the same be cheap, simple in its construction and operation, and, while it secures the advantages ofthe full strength of the band, that it shall not be liable to become unfastened by accident, or to allowl any sharp angles or the ends of the band to project and cause them to tear the bagging of other bales during their contact one with another.

My invention consists in a peculiar mode of fastening or tying the ends of metallic orother flexible bands by means of two or three small castings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a front view of my band and clasp. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same through the line A B. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate different modes by which one end of my clasp may be secured to the band e as well as by the inode I employ.

The band e is made for cottonbales of suitable thin hoop-iron. My claspgconsists of the frame a and ring b made of cast-iron. Frame ci has a recess, in which ring b can be easily inserted. The inner side of one of its ends is slightly inclined. The length or longitudinal diameter of the recess in frame a is such that when the end of the hoop or band cis inserted in it and against the inclined surface at c, and ring I) placed in contact with the band with one end, while the other end of ring b rests against the opposite extremity of the recess of frame a at d, said ring b cannot reach the bottom of the recess at C, but will exert a powerful end-thrust on the band c, and said opposite extremity of said recess at d when the band tends to withdraw. The small ring l f is made of malleable cast-iron, and is employed for combining frame a, ring b, and band e at one end.

In aHiXing my clasp to the band e to put around a bale I proceed as follows: Ring b is first placed in the recess of frame a, the small ring f is slipped over the end of band e, then the latter is passed from the upper side downward through both the ring b and the frame a for about one and a half inch of its length and bent double on itself, embracing in the angle or end of the curvature both frame ct and ring Z1. Now, the small ring f rst put upon the band e is slipped close to frame c, so as to embrace both parts of the doubled portion of band c. Then by a second curvature the end of band e is bent' back over ring f opposite and under frame a, which fixes ring b in its proper place in the recess in frame a.

I do not mean to be understood as limiting myself to this mode of fastening my clasp to one end of the band e, for this can be donein various ways, two of which are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings 5 but I prefer the mode specified, because it readily admits of ring b heilig lifted out of the recess in frame a without disturbing its position therein at d, as shown in dott-ed lines in Fig. 2, g.

The securing my clasp to one end of band e, as thus far described, can be done at any leisure time before the latter is wanted to be ap not consume any of the valuable time when the bale is under the press.

The application of my clasp thus combined with band e for tying a baleis as follows: The band e is passed and drawn close around the bale. Then the loose end of the band c is thrust from under upward through frame a over the inclined inner side of the recess at c, and while ring b is in the position represented in dotted lines in Fig. 2 at g. After this end of band e is drawn as tight as possible, ring b is pushed down in the recess of frame a., so that said ring shall crowd the band c at c between itself' and the inclined inner surface of the recess in a. As soon as ring b is thus pushed down, it will at once grip and hold the end of band e secure by its peculiar end-thrust. The projecting extremity of band c is now bentin the direction of the opposite end of the band c and clipped off, so as to leave about one inch plied to the bale, so that this operation does the end of band e is'instantaneous.

is not liable to become undone by accidentL of its length to be further bent down into-the open space of ring I), which completes the ad# ustment.

This mode of tying bales is exceedingly expeditious7 for the peculiar bite of my clasp on My clasp for, the band being hooked over ring b, the tendency is to draw it closer in proportion to the expansive power of the bale. It requires little skill or labor for its adjustment.y There are no ends of the band left exposed 5 nor has it any sharp angles endangering the bagging oi other bales. Most of the labor of adjustment can be performed beforehand. It can beloosened and removed from the bale without niutilation.

The great and crowning advantage of my clasp is the facility it presents for readjusting the bands at the compresses, where saving of time is a great desideratum. rlhe operator, after compressing the bale, has but to disengage the end. of the band from between the frame a and ring b and draw it to the desired tension, push down ring b again7 clip off the lend of e, and thrust it, as before7 in the open space of ring b.

Having thus fully described my invention7 what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The use of frame a and ring b, in combination with band e, substantially as described.

ALB. C. RICHARD.

Witnesses:

S. S. MIDDLEBROOK, HUGH CAMPBELL. 

